Getting a Working Visa for Hong Kong is a Simple Matter of Filling in the Forms, Right?

With the relatively large number of foreign nationals working in Hong Kong at any one time, it is easy to conclude that getting the permission of the Hong Kong Immigration Department to pursue your career here is a relatively straightforward affair.

Actually, Hong Kong prides itself on a corruption-free, efficient and non-legalistic immigration process and, under the General Employment Policy, 99 times out of 100 the Hong Kong Immigration Department get the result right.

In some instances, especially where the compensation is substantial, the candidate is exceptionally well qualified or the applicant is an inter-company transferee, then it’s true that such cases tend to be merely administrative in nature.

But everyone else has to argue for their approval.

This means a solid set of supporting representations, excellent documentation and an appreciation of what the Immigration Department are looking for to deliver the outcome of an approved visa.

No two Hong Kong visa applications are ever alike and so it is churlish to believe that just because you know someone who’s visa application sailed through with a minimum of fuss that this will be the same for you.

The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.